North Northamptonshire Council urge Government to reverse winter fuel payments decision
North Northamptonshire Council has voted in support of its leader calling on the Prime Minister to reverse the decision to cut winter fuel payments after the administration was accused of running a "political stunt", in a heated debate.
A motion proposed by Conservative Cllr Russell Roberts on Thursday (October 17) warned that pensioners may have to choose between 'heating or eating' this winter. He suggested that the cutbacks on the benefit will impact around 57,000 people in North Northants this year.
Until changes were passed by the Labour Government, the winter fuel allowance was available for all pensioners to claim up to £300 to help with high energy costs during the colder months. Now, the benefit has been made means-tested and it is estimated that millions of pensioners will miss out.
Independent Cllr Martin Griffiths said the current government should be "ashamed" for considering withdrawing the payments.
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He told the chamber: "To our elderly people affected by this dreadful, unfair and unnecessary attack on them, please do not choose between heating and eating. Keep your heating on in periods of cold weather this winter. Do not put your health and well-being at risk.
"Pensioners have already contributed to the wealth of this country, they are the ones who have to budget well to survive, many on far less than the minimum wage. Politicians of all parties would do well to learn from the examples set by our elderly instead of targeting them."
Leader of the NNC Labour Group Cllr Matt Keane responded to the motion: "Firstly, I think you need to understand why the government took this decision and that’s because the previous Conservative government left a black hole in our economy.
"The motion states that this will affect the health and well-being of our poorest older residents. This is not true. Everyone was entitled to the winter fuel allowance even those at the very richest- people like Sir Richard Branson and Alan Sugar were entitled to this. It’s absolutely crazy to be giving benefits to millionaires.
"I don’t want to see any struggling pensioner being denied help, but the government shouldn’t be chucking cash where it’s not really needed. The government will means test this and by means test we should assume those who don’t have the means will get it and those who do have the means won’t get it.
"It’s fantasy politics to say that the poorest won't get help because they will. If NNC truly wanted to help the poorest pensioners they would be doing all they can to help encourage the uptake of the household support fund and not just play gesture politics."
According to the latest data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), there were more than 6,100 people in North Northamptonshire claiming Pension Credit in February 2024. These residents should still automatically qualify for the winter fuel allowance.
Cllr Gill Mercer (Cons) said: "Putting it bluntly, this policy will mean more pensioners will die to cold this winter. If there’s a big influx of pensioners who now need to claim [the household support fund], it will put a big strain on this fund.
"It can only be spent once and some families may lose out as a result of us having to spread this out over many pensioners."
Cllr Helen Harrison (Cons) added: "It’s quite clear that we can’t rely on our members of parliament for Wellingborough and Rushden, Kettering or Corby and East Northants because they have meekly agreed to this policy.
"Their job is to scrutinise Government and hold it to account, but they are not doing it. So it’s our job. If we can just make them see the error of their ways and change their policy we will have done something really worthwhile."
Wellingborough and Rushden MP Gen Kitchen has since responded to the Local Democracy Reporting Service by saying she has arranged advice surgeries for pensioners to ensure they are getting the help they are entitled to.
"I welcome the Government’s decision to extend the Household Support Fund to help people most in need and I am pleased to see local authorities such as North Devon, Manchester and Darlington already directing this money to the people it is intended for. I eagerly await similar action to be taken from North Northamptonshire Council," she added.
Rosie Wrighting, MP for Kettering, also said the means testing was a 'tough decision' made by the chancellor to fix the black hole: "My focus is on encouraging people to check if they are getting the help they are entitled to, like pension credit, which would mean they then still receive the winter fuel payment and access other support.”
Lee Barron has also been contacted for comment.
However, the sentiment of writing a letter to the government was met with some pushback from the opposition sat in the chamber, who accused the administration of brushing off that approach when it was the Conservative government in power.
Cllr Valerie Anslow (Lab) was cut off during her allotted time after putting to the leading party that they had "never written a letter to the government" over 14 years of austerity "when the pensioners and vulnerable families were being affected".
She accused the administration of performing a "political stunt" in introducing the motion and suggested that the leader writing a letter "is not going to do any good".
Cllr Elliot Prentice (Lab) also pointed a finger at the administration, suggesting they brought the motion forward to "convince" people that they "care about residents' finances".
"Every year since NNC has formed this administration has increased council tax by the maximum amount allowed, this administration has introduced a yearly fee to having garden waste collected.
"At the same time, this administration does seem to short-change our residents. It’s frustrating that we’re debating national issues rather than what can be done locally to assist residents.
"This motion states that 44 per cent of pensioners entitled to pension credit do not claim it, so what has been done to support those residents? Perhaps while the leader is busy writing to the Prime Minister he could also write to pensioners offering them advice on how they can obtain this assistance."
The Green Party's Cllr Emily Fedorowycz also raised concerns about the number of times Conservative colleagues had said it wasn't their 'job' to lobby central government. However, she did feel that it was their duty to discuss and lobby Government and that alternative routes should be considered instead of hitting pensioners.
Conservative Cllr Ian Jelley, who seconded the motion, said he was expecting '100 per cent' support for it.
"The fact of the matter is that the decision has been made to stop the winter fuel payments to the majority of our pensioners. Many pensioners I’ve spoken to are worried if we have a harsh winter they will either not be able to put the heating on or cook a hot meal.
"Let’s get behind this motion to support it fully and our pensioners."
The vote was passed with 45 members agreeing that the leader should write a letter and 12 voting against it.